Agitator.



A. C. CUNNINGHAM.

AGITATOR. APPLICATION men um. I8. 1915.

Patented J 11110 1, 1915.

A STATES PATENT onion.

5 .nmaswe. crmmemm, OF lfOB'IH cmcaeo, rumors Be it known that I, ANDREW C. CUNNING- HAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at North Chicago, county of. Lake, an State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Agitators; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in.

the artto which it appertains tomake and use the same. I y r This invention relates to agitators, and has for. its object to provide a device of this kind having the novel features of construction hereinafter set forth. I

One form of the invention is illustrated 1n the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved agitator illustrating one method of openatin the same; Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partTy' in section, of the agitator in combination with mechanical actuating means; and Fig. 3 is an underneath view of the agitator looking-in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1. p

In the preferred form, the agitator comprises three elements so connected as to form a structure having a substantially triangular cross section. Each of these elements, which are indicated at 1, 2 d 3'in-the drawing, preferably consists o a flat spiral coil of stifl self-sustaining wire, the outer end of which extends away fr 111 the coil to constitute a stem portion 0 pable of being connected to a suitable handle or other actuating .device. The stem portions of the elements 1, 2 and 3 are indicated at 4, 5 and 6,

' respectively.

The flat spiral coils are disposed in triangular or other relation and connected at their lateral edge portions by any appropriate means. This may be accomplished by soldering the adjacent portions of the coils together, as indicated at 7. When the elements are assembled, they are canted out of the vertical plane,.so that each element 7 will be inclined relative to the longitudinal axis of the agitator, and so that the com bined elements present the formof a triangular pyramid, the apex of which is con stituted by the diverging stem portions of the coils. 'The stem portions diverging at the apex of the pyramidal structure so formed are brought together, and preferably aena'ron.

1,141,528. a u t of Letterilatent I Patented June 1, 1915. Application filed January 18,1915. Aerie-180.2347. To all concern: V slightly interlaced, as clearly shown in the drawing, and then connected to a suitable tremital ortron 9 is associated with the handle, w ich may be engaged betweenthe palms of theoperators two hands and rotated by moving the hands back andforth relative'to each other, in an obvious manner, as indicated in Fi 1. f

It may be desirafiile to moun't the agitator in a suitable actuating device to facilitate rotation of the same, and for this urpose, a bracket 10 may be provided, 2), having a bearingportion 11 which receives the stem of the agitator. The stem is rotatably mounted in the bearing 11 and rigidly carries a pinion 12 engaging with a gear 13, rotatably mounted on the bearing 11. A handle 14; associated with the bearing 11, constitutes" means for holding the stationary part against movement, while a handle 15, associated with the gear 13, provides means-for rotating the gear 13, pin

ion 12, and hence the agitating device Inthe present instance, the bracket 10is mounted upon the top 16 of a suitable container 17 adapted to receive the material to be agitated, and the stem of the agitator projects through said top 16,.as be understood, however, that such a mounting of the agitator is merely exemplary, as

the agitator may be actuated in any manner whatsoever. f

The three elements associated in the manner above described result in a strong, rigid and durable construction, the elements of which may be cheaply inade and readily assembled. r

'Although the elements are shown in the drawing as sloping outwardly from the top to the bottom, it is obvious that the inclination of the elements in this specific direction is not necessary, as the elements, if so desired, may be inclined in the opposite direction. Furthermore, the exact construction ofthe elements is immate l, as. the wiref at the coils may be bent to 11 erous different shown at 18. 'It willshapes, the s 1ral shape illustrated being merely exemplary.

The agitator may be used for agitating, pulverizing, aerating and intimately asso 5 ciating fluids, liquids, semi-fluids, or viscous substances. By the use of the improved agitator, coarse or fine solids may be intimately mixed with liquids or fluids, and soluble solids may be pulverized and mixed with liquids.

The novel construction of the agitator causes a violent agitation ofthe/substance acted upon, as the rotation of the triangularly arranged elements throws the particles of the substance outwardly, and the inclination of the elements causes a circulation of the agitated substance in either an upward or downward direction. This violent agitation of the substance especially adapts the agitator for use in mixing solids and fluids which are only mixed with great difficulty by other devices.

Obviously, the time required to intimately mix or sufficiently agitate the treated substance will depend upon the speed of rotation of the agitator, and this may, of course,

be controlled at will by the operator.

The agitator shown in the drawing is designed especially for light work, such as mixing and agitating. foodstufi's andthe like, but obviously, the device may be made of much greater size and used for relatively heavy work, and any suitable actuating and supporting mechanism may be' employed for rotating the same.

What I claim is 1. An'agitatr composed of a plurality of elements each of which comprises a contin uous length of wire, one end of which is bent into a plurality of convolutions lying in the same plane to form a coiled agitating portion, thecoiled portions so formed being grouped about the longitudinal axis of the agitator and connected at their adjacent lateral edges, the uncoiled portions of the several wires being extended away from the coiled portions, for the purpose described.

2. An agitator composed of a plurality of elements each of which comprises a continuous length of wire, one end of which is bent into a plurality of convolutions lying in the same plane to form a coiled agitating portion, the coiled portions so formed being grouped about the longitudinal axis of the agitator and inclined with respect thereto and connected attheir adjacent lateral edges, the uncoiled portions of the several wires being extended away from'the coiled portions, for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

ANDREW C. CUNNINGHAM. 

